Trees and shrubs - page 6

Majestic towering trees compete with emblematic shrubs to decorate gardens throughout the year. Here’s all you can expect from your shrubs and trees.

Create your own bonsai!

The Egyptians were familiar with putting trees in pots to carry them around easily, then the Chinese did it because it looked good, but the Japanese are the people who became the true creators of the art of bonsai.
Bonsai with shears on a table

Bamboo, a plant with mysterious secrets

It’s very difficult to classify these gigantic stalks: they’re the size of shrubs and grow like perennials… but they’re technically grasses! Some bamboo plants are towering high, others are dwarf-sized, some have straight canes and others arch back down and even creep along the ground.
Light shining through bamboo plants

Phyllostachys, the perfect bamboo for landscaping

Phyllostachys is among the most famous bamboo families in the garden. Giant, dwarf, green, yellow black… there’s one species for every garden! Discover how to care for it in a few simple steps.
Phyllostachys bamboo with stems and leaves

Honey locust, a sweet giant – with massive thorns!

If you’ve got a large garden, go ahead and plant a Gleditsia triacanthos, you’ll savor its cool shade during summer. And, you’ll marvel at the honey locust‘s sweet fall fruit pods in fall and winter.
Honey locust planting and care

Caucasian elm, delicate yellow leaves in fall for a hardy-proof winter

Caucasian elm facts Name – Zelkova carpinifolia Family – Ulmaceae Type – tree Height – 100 feet (30 meters) Exposure – full sun Soil – ordinary Foliage – deciduous Flowering – April Planting Caucasian elm Indifferently, in fall or spring. Follow our guidelines on planting trees. This is a very hardy tree, down to -10°F […]
Caucasian elm leaves

Bottlebrush buckeye

Bottlebrush buckeye is a shrubby tree that spreads more than it grows tall. It’s a relative of the chestnut tree and has the same leaves. Bottlebrush Buckeye facts Name – Aesculus parviflora Family – Sapindaceae Type – shrub Height – 6 ½ feet (2 meters) Exposure – full sun or part sun Soil – ordinary, well drained Foliage – deciduous Flowering – June to […]
Yellow leaves of bottlebrush buckeye in fall

Reducing thuja, a battered look for a year, before bursting back!

Thuja, or Arborvitae, is a long-living tree that just keeps growing. If you miss a few pruning seasons, you’ll have to cut it back hard! Here’s what Michel experienced. Read also: Planting and caring for thuja Evergreen hedges, a good idea? Hedge pruning, timing, tips A short note before beginning, from Michel himself: I think […]
Large thuja needing to be cut back heavily

Italian Buckthorn

Italian Buckthorn facts Name – Rhamnus alaternus Family – Rhamnaceae Type – shrub Height – 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) Exposure – full sun, part sun Soil – ordinary Foliage – evergreen Flowering – March to May Planting Italian Buckthorn Plant in spring preferably. If you plant in fall, you might constrain its proper development and regrowth, especially if the winter is harsh in your area. […]
Red berries dot this rhamnus alaternus or mediterranean buckthorn

Pruning trees and shrubs

Sometimes, it’s better not to prune than to prune wrong. Before going crazy with your hand pruner in the garden, learn why to prune and the do’s and don’ts of pruning.
Pruned grapevine with a drop of sap oozing out
Any questions? Ask them on the forum!